


Who to Trust, Who to Fear

by hibiren



Series: Jay's Fae!Ignis AU Collection [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: (makes a cameo), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Comfort, Danger, Emotional, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Faerie!Ignis, Fairies, Flowers, Gladnis, M/M, Magic-Users, Memory Loss, Memory Magic, Nightfae!Noctis, Partial Mind Control, Promises, Rescue, Rings, Spooky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 11:27:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20045221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: One night, Gladio finds himself in his yard, but something doesn't feel right... the forest and sky around him feel almostalive.What kind of magic could be at work this time?





	Who to Trust, Who to Fear

**Author's Note:**

> Have a little pre-Halloween (CAN IT BE AUGUST YET I NEED HALLOWEEN STUFF TO START SHOWING UP SO I CAN BREAK OUT THE DECORATIONS IN MY HOUSE) fae!Ignis, saving Gladio from a familiar face in the form of a dangerous nightfae.

The night spread wide over the field, bright blinking stars and a full moon gracing the deep greens of the land with an ethereal, minty bluish glow. Gladio wandered through the grass, careful not to step on any flowers as he took in the strange, beautiful scenery. Although this was his backyard it felt like a whole different world. The trees danced and bent and rustled in the wind as if alive and beckoning to him. He thought he was dreaming but no matter how hard he pinched, he didn't wake up.

_Gladiolus, Gladiolus… flower-bearing human, you have much to learn from Nature. Come, let us teach you…_

A voice called from deep within the trees, a soft almost-singing whisper guiding his way into the forest’s tangled overgrowth. The hope of meeting more fae thrilled Gladio beyond his senses. _Just wait until I tell Ignis what I found! Maybe they’re his friends…_

_Friends…_ the voice echoed back. The atmosphere of the thickening forest tinted with odd sparks of energy, and Gladio shivered when a vine tendril appeared through the brush, twisting and curling like a thin, gesturing hand. Telling him to come closer. Somewhere behind the vines, a black-tufted head and bright blue eyes lingered over a catlike smile, a playful grin.

“Who are you?” Gladio asked, stepping just one foot forward to try to get a closer look; but as if he knew of Gladio’s plan, the shadowy figure withdrew further into the forest.

“I’m Prince of the nightfae; but you can call me Noctis, if you want.”

“Noctis,” Gladio said, and the faeprince hummed in approval.

“That’s me. Now… I see you have an interest in Nature. Gardening. It’s a shame you can’t do such things at night. Perhaps… I could show you a way to make it work. Don’t you want to grow more, grow healthier plants? You’d certainly be making Ignis’ job easier. It takes so much of his energy helping your plants grow.”

“You know Ignis?”

“Of course. He’s the only floral faespirit out this far. Us nightfae on the other hand, we’re _everywhere.”_ Noctis smiled as a beam of moonlight illuminated his features. He was around Ignis’ size, with thin features and point-tipped ears. Small dusts of silvery freckles that glowed like galaxies spread across his exposed skin and stood out against the inky-black cloak that tucked neatly behind his shoulders and tumbled across his back into well-frayed ends. The faeprince’s chest was bare and the dark, loose pants he wore were rolled up just below the knee, likely to allow for more movement. The bottoms of his star-speckled shoes glittered in the moon’s reflection.

“So you… can tell me about how I can grow plants at night? That sounds a bit… strange.”

“Is it, though?” asked Noctis. He held out his hand as he floated over to Gladio, the vine’s winding tendrils drifting close behind him. A burst of light centered within his palm and when Gladio blinked the brightness away, a single, blooming sprout rested in his palm, growing taller and more vibrant as seconds passed into a blue flower he’d never seen before. It was reminiscent of lavender, if it had crossed with other flowers… it was mysteriously beautiful. “See? It’s possible. The moon is light just like the sun, if you know what you’re doing.”

Gladio frowned, crossed his arms, but kept his eyes locked on the bloom in Noctis’ palm. It _would_ be useful to be able to grow plants all day… the flower itself seemed to call to Gladio, that same whispery voice from before echoing in his mind, _Please, take me home, plant me somewhere safe…_

His hand moved toward the flower without his willing, but as soon as his hand made contact with the stem, it wilted and sputtered into a cloud of ash and the vines behind Noctis immediately snagged tight around Gladio’s wrist, their grip frighteningly snakelike. No matter how hard he pulled, how frantic he fought, the vines just kept squeezing until he thought his wrist would go numb from the sharp-leaved contact.

“Let me go!!” he yelled, his voice carrying loud enough through the trees to scatter a flurry of birds into the night sky.

“I like you. You’re so trusting,” Noctis purred, smiling wide enough to reveal sharp, pointed fangs. He watched Gladio with bright, mischievous eyes and smiled even wider when Gladio tried to get a swipe at him. The vines just held him in place, unable to move or run. “You really don’t want to learn? I can teach you so much, and all I’d ask from you…”

Hovering close, Noctis’ star-flecked cheeks glowed bright when he whispered, his black-tipped tongue licking his lips, “Just a dream or two, a thought and nothing more… maybe even a taste of a memory...”

Gladio’s strength ebbed away from him, slipping… as if the vines that gripped him were preventing his escape by leeching his energy away. No, no, this was wrong, this was _bad,_ and he should have known not to fall for it… his curiosity had overwhelmed him too much. Now he knew better, and swore to himself he’d never make the same mistake again if he made it out unscathed.

A cold darkness washed over Gladio’s body as he struggled in vain. The last thing he registered before blacking out was a bright burst of light, a frantic shout, and orange flower petals clashing like thunder into a swirling trail of starbeams that scattered overhead.

* * *

_What’s going on?_

_I can’t move._

_It’s dark…_

_I’m… scared._

_I can’t remember anything._

_Where am I?_

_...Who am I?_

* * *

“Gladio… Gladiolus!!”

The call was gentle yet distraught, loud enough to rouse him from whatever state of unconsciousness that Gladio had been suspended in. Slowly, Gladio opened his eyes to a dimly-lit room he didn’t recognize. Crickets rustled and owls hooted distantly, almost mournfully, outside. The face that greeted him was warm, frightened, and analytical all at once.

“...Who… where… where am I?”

“Oh, no. Gladiolus, you… don’t remember me?”

As hard as he tried, no recognition came to him of the weary figure at his bedside, clutching handfuls of the drifting silken canopy that draped around the bed. Two wings tucked behind the stranger’s back, hanging lifelessly as if they were only there for decoration. Blond hair fell against green eyes that hid behind large glasses, one eye partially obscured by his hair and the way his head was turned away. He really did look familiar, but, no matter how hard Gladio concentrated, nothing helped.

“I don’t… I…”

“Forgive me.”

The stranger held his hands clasped to his heart and through a gentle, glowing light, a blue flower appeared. Five soft petals circled around a yellow centerpoint, and although Gladio couldn’t remember where he was or who the stranger was, he knew the flower well.

“Forget-me-nots?”

With a nod, the blond stranger opened his mouth, placed the flower on his tongue, and shut his mouth tight, lips a thin line as if the taste of it was unpleasant. Before Gladio could ask what he was doing - the stranger pressed his lips to Gladio’s and the moment their mouths touched, his memories came bursting painfully back to him like a lightning strike.

_Ignis._

_How could I have forgotten?_

Hot, frightened tears slipped past Gladio’s eyes as he squeezed them shut, his arms immediately finding their way around Ignis’ waist to cling to him, holding tight to fistfuls of his shirt as if he’d disappear any second.

“It worked, thank the gods… you’re safe. I… fixed what I could, but… I was scared that I was too late. I should have warned you that nightfae will attempt to trick you into letting them eat your memories…” Guilt washed over Gladio and he was sure Ignis felt it too, with the way they trembled against each other. Ignis' hands rubbed soothing, gentle circles against Gladio's back, offering a welcome calm.

“I’m sorry. I should have known better.”

“That’s in the past now. Please… rest.”

Gladio reached up, ignoring the pain lingering in his wrists where the vines had gripped him. His hand touched Ignis’ warm cheek, and that was when he caught sight of the reason why the faerie's hair was brushed forward so strategically. “Iggy… what happened?”

A thin, pink line carved through his eyebrow, and another at his cheekbone matched in size and healed-over scarflesh.

“I’ll be alright. As long as you’re alright. I managed to get us both back here safely, and somehow… had enough energy to cast a shield over my home to prevent any attempted intrusions on the nightfae’s behalf. They swarm like fireflies, as soon as the Prince marks his target…”

Gladio frowned and rested back against the pillow, gesturing for Ignis to lay beside him with a single, worried glance. In silent agreement, Ignis laid next to him, his hand hovering protectively over Gladio’s hammering heart.

“...Thank you, Ignis. I promise… I’ll be more careful next time.”

“I don’t think a promise is enough,” Ignis mused. After a moment of thought, Ignis clasped his hands to his own heart and held them, soft swirls of blue light curling out from behind his fingertips. When he pulled his hand away, he revealed the familiar shape of tiny forget-me-nots, vibrant blue, with their stems woven into each other to form two matching rings. “How about… a vow? Of magic, of course… and my protection. With this, you shall never forget me, and I will always be close to you. If you fall into danger again - although I hope that day never comes - I will come to your aid. There are just some things in this world that we can’t handle alone.”

When Gladio smiled, Ignis helped Gladio slip the ring onto his finger and the moment Ignis put on his own, they glowed blue, orange, blue again, and then a soft white, before fading off.

“I will keep you safe, my flower. Nothing, mortal or fae, will harm you without having to face me first. You should rest here, for the night; we can explain what happened to you to your sister in the morning. I can cast protections over her as well, but… knowledge can be just as potent as magic when it comes to injury prevention.”

“Yeah. No more late-night wandering alone for me. I can’t even remember why I went out into the yard in the first place. Maybe I was sleepwalking.”

Ignis shrugged, a light gesture. “The more… feral fae don’t give reasons, or have them, most times. Nightfae especially. They love making trouble, luring people through fae portals, eating memories and dreams, things of that sort. I’m lucky to be a garden spirit. I can’t imagine finding sustenance in stealing from someone something as precious as a memory… but no matter, enough about me. Rest, love.”

And Gladio didn’t protest when Ignis began to quietly sing; it was a different tune than the one he’d heard previously, on another distant night. Gladio’s body felt warm, heavy, sluggish, but comfortable as the urge to sleep began to take hold over him, his anxious heart finally relaxing as Ignis’ magic took effect. Just before he fell into dreams, Gladio swore he recognized some of the unfamiliar faespeak - it sounded like formal species names of several different flowers: forget-me-nots, hibiscus, lavender, sunflowers… and in turn each of these began to bloom in his dreaming mind, vibrant and beautiful as they covered his body, their petals caressing his skin gently, soothing every nervous thought away into a pleasant hum instead, into whispers of,

_You are safe here._

**Author's Note:**

> Been thinking of lots of Halloween things lately! I've also wanted to include a fae!Noct in my verse somewhere and what better than a star/galaxy-inspired nightfae? After this I hope to get back to your regularly scheduled Faenis fluff but I had to get this idea out first! I hope that's okay ; u ;


End file.
